This application relates to modular trench drains used to transport liquid to a drainage sewer.
Trench drains are U-shaped or V-shaped troughs for the collection of liquid, such as rainwater, and can be used to transport the collected water to a sewer or other drainage point. Trench drains are commonly installed in the ground and secured in concrete. In most cases, trench drains also include a grate to prevent large debris from entering the water-conveying channel and to prevent people from stepping or falling into them.
Historically, concrete trench drain systems used forms. The forms were placed in a ditch dug in the ground. Concrete was then poured around the forms, which were removed after the concrete has set. Trench drain systems made in accordance with this method or similar methods result in relatively expensive systems due to the cost of installing and removing the forms.
Many of the expenses associated with these prior art trench drain systems have been overcome by the advent of polymeric trench drains, which can be left in place after the concrete has been poured in place. These polymeric trench drains perform two functions. First, the polymeric channel acts as a form for casting the concrete. Second, the polymeric channel acts as a liner such that the water initially comes in contact with the polymeric channel and not in direct contact with the concrete. The manufacture and transportation costs associated with this type of trench drain is significantly less than the other types of trench drains.
However, trench drain systems made of polymeric channels have problems not associated with the other types of trench drain systems, namely buckling due to the expansion of the trench drains. This typically occurs when the trench drains are installed in colder weather. They then expand in hotter weather due to the polymeric materials' high coefficient of expansion. The embedding concrete prevents the trench drains from expanding in a longitudinal direction. Therefore, the trench drains buckle to compensate for this expansion. Further, the trench drains can deform during installation when wet concrete is poured around the periphery of the trench drains. This is due to the pressure of wet concrete against the trench drain walls.
Furthermore, as in all of the above trench drain systems, installing the polymeric trench drains require a substantial amount of hardware, such as nuts and bolts, which adds not only to the cost, but can also result in delays, should the installer run out of this hardware.
Various improvements to trench drains are described herein including an improvement relating to the overmolding of metal rails. It will be appreciated that the various improvements could potentially be used separate from one another or in various combinations and permutations with one another.
According to one aspect, a trench drain includes an open-faced channel having spaced-apart sidewalls connected to a bottom wall and extending between a pair of opposing axial ends. The open-faced channel comprises a polymeric material. The trench drain further includes an integral metal frame having an upper lip portion adapted to support a grate and having a lower embedded portion which is molded into at least one of the spaced-apart sidewalls to secure the integral metal frame to the open-faced channel.
In some forms, the integral metal frame may include a pair of opposing axial ends and may further include an anchor feature disposed proximate one of the pair of opposing axial ends. The anchor feature may be molded into the polymeric material of the open-faced channel to positionally fix the axial ends of the integral metal frame on which the anchor feature is positioned relative to a respective one of the pair of opposing axial ends of the open-faced channel. During molding, the polymeric material may flows into and/or engages the anchor feature such that, upon cooling, the anchor feature serves as an anchor point for the integral metal frame relative to the sidewall. Because as the integral metal frame and the open-faced channel differentially shrink during cooling, a dimensional shrinkage difference in an axial direction between the integral metal frame and the open-faced channel may then be expressed only on the respective axial ends of the frame and channel not having the anchor feature. In some forms, the anchor feature may be a frame aperture and, during molding, the polymeric material flows into and fills the frame aperture creating a sidewall protrusion. In other forms, the anchor feature may be a frame notch having an axially-facing wall that is embedded in the polymeric material of the open-faced channel. Still yet, in other forms, the anchor feature may include multiple features such as, for example, a frame aperture and a frame notch. It is contemplated that if there is one or more anchor features, that each anchor feature may have a surface that is at least partially facing an axial direction to anchor the end of the integral metal frame relative to the sidewall.
In some forms, the integral metal frame may further include an intermediate section connecting the upper lip portion to the lower embedded portion. The intermediate section may have at least one exposed surface which is not at an axial end of the integral metal frame and that is not covered by the polymeric material of the open-faced channel. Put another way, the intermediate section may separate inner and outer environments having an inwardly facing surface that defines a portion of the inner channel and outwardly facing surface that is adapted for being cast in concrete or the like. In some forms, the upper lip portion, the intermediate section, and an upper edge of each sidewall may collectively form an outer recess. The outer recess may also be further defined by one or more vertically extending side ribs on the outside of the open-faced channel. The outer recess may be configured to receive concrete.
In some forms, the lower embedded portion may be an embedded angle including both a horizontal and vertical section molded into the sidewall. The embedded angle may forms a right angle that helps to secure the embedded angle in the polymeric material. To help accommodate the molding of the lower embedded portion in the polymeric material, an upper extent of each sidewall is thickened relative to a lower extend of each sidewall to provide a sufficient thickness of polymeric material to hold the embedded angle of the integral metal frame within the corresponding sidewall (or whatever geometry the lower embedded portion takes).
In some forms, the polymeric material may be a resin containing at least one of a fiberglass, nylon, and a polyethylene. In some forms, the polymeric material may include polyethylene and/or polypropylene.
In some forms, an integral metal frame may each be molded into a respective one of the spaced-apart sidewalls.
These and still other advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description and drawings. What follows is merely a description of some preferred embodiments of the present invention. To assess the full scope of the invention, the claims should be looked to as these preferred embodiments are not intended to be the only embodiments within the scope of the claims.
The trench drain 10 includes a pair of spaced apart sidewalls 12 connected to a U-shaped bottom wall 14 and define an open-faced channel 15. The sidewalls 12 can either be straight or angled. Likewise, the bottom wall 14 can either be flat, round, or angled so that water or other liquids can be directed from one end to another. In any event, the particular geometry of the trench drain 10 and channel can deviate from that illustrated.
The trench drain 10 includes a first end or male end 16 and a second end or female end 18 that can be used to connect sections of the trench drain 10 together as best illustrated in
Returning now to
With specific reference to
The metal frame 56 provides significantly improved stability of trench drain 10, thereby allowing longer lengths of the trench drain 10 to be transported long distances without being damaged or deformed during shipping. Being able to transport long lengths of the trench drains 10 (e.g., 80 inch lengths) is especially useful in large industrial, applications requiring a significant amount of the trench drains 10 (e.g., gas stations, stadiums, etc.).
The metal frame 56 additionally provides substantial reinforcement along the length of the trench drain 10 thereby minimizing any deformation of the trench drain 10 during installation when the concrete is poured into the trench. The metal frame 56 further provides a clean edge after the concrete is poured and enhances structural support for the trench grates 112 as best illustrated in
It should be appreciated that, while the metal frame. 56 is illustrated in
Turning now to
After the trench drain 10 has been positioned in the trench and attached to the rebar support 42 by the rebar clips 26, the drain 10 may still be vertically adjusted by rotating the toggle arm 48 in a counter-clockwise direction by approximately 180 degrees to slight remove the threaded end 46 from the holes 50 and 52 and remove the clamping force applied by the clip 26 on the rebar support 42, thereby temporarily allowing movement of the rebar clip 26 along the rebar support 42, moving the trench drain to a desired position, and then refastening the rebar clips onto the rebar 42 by rotating the toggle arm 48 in a clockwise direction again.
It should be appreciated that the L-shape of the toggle arm 48 offers easy and reversible tightening or loosening of the clips 26 to the rebar support 42. Moreover, the tool 44 has a low profile and does not require much space to the lateral sides of the trench drain 10 to use. Thus, difficulty of using a power tool to drive a fastener on a lateral side of the trench drain 10 can be avoided. It should further be appreciated that, later during installation of the trench drain 10, the fastening tool 44 can be cast right into the surrounding concrete with the trench drain 10.
The top cap 64 is further affixed to the base 66 with a screw 80 that is threaded from the top surface of the cap 64 through a first hole 82 in the cap 64 and a second hole 84 in the base 66. During installation, the top mounting of the screw 80 (as opposed to a lateral approach) is easily accessed to allow convenient repositioning of the trench drain 10 secured to the rebar 42. The top cap 64 is preferably made of a rigid material and the base 66 is preferably made of high-density Polyethylene.
As best illustrated in
With respect to
With additional reference to the detailed view of
In either fastener design, with the grate 112 removed, this spacer block 86 is easily removed to allow cleaning of the trench drain 10.
Turning now to
In some forms, the trench drain 210 is made of a polymeric or plastic material, such as a resin containing fiberglass, nylon, or a polyethylene and formed in lengths of eighty inches. In some other forms, the trench drain 210 is made of high density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), or any other suitable material. Being made of a polymeric or plastic material, the trench drain 210 weighs considerably less than a comparable concrete or metal trench drain. As such, in general, more polymeric trench drains can be transported per truckload than concrete or metal trench drains because of their light weight.
The trench drain 210 includes a pair of spaced apart sidewalls 212 connected to a U-shaped bottom wall 214 and defines an open-faced channel 215. The sidewalls 212 can either be straight or angled. Likewise, the bottom wall 214 can either be flat, round, or angled so that water or other liquids can be directed from one end to another. In any event, the particular geometry of the trench drain 210 and channel can deviate from that illustrated.
The trench drain 210 includes a first axial end 216 and a second axial end 218 that can be configured to connect sections of the trench drain 210 together, similar to the first end 16 and the second end 18 of the trench drain 10, or using alternative mechanisms.
As shown in
Referring now to
Unlike the metal frames 56, the second vertical walls 262 of the metal frames 256 (or the intermediate portion) are not fully embedded within the sidewalls 212. Instead, the second vertical walls 262 are only slightly inset into the sidewalls 212 within the open faced channel 215, such that each second vertical wall 262 is flush with the corresponding sidewall 212 within the open faced channel 215. This leaves one non-axial surface non-contacted by the polymeric material of the channel 215.
Additionally, each metal frame 256 further includes a second horizontal wall 265, extending from a lower end of the corresponding second vertical wall 262, and a third vertical wall 267 which, as illustrated define the lower embedded portion. Each second horizontal wall 265 further extends horizontally into the corresponding sidewall 212 and each third vertical wall 267 extends downwardly from an embedded end of the corresponding second horizontal wall 265. As such, the second horizontal walls 265 and the third vertical walls 267 are embedded within the sidewalls 212 to define the lower embedded portion, forming embedded right angles 269, which secure the metal frames 256 within the sidewalls 212. The embedded right angles 269 further aid in preventing the metal frames 256 from being inadvertently pulled out from the sidewalls 212 during transport.
Similar to the metal frame 56, the metal frame 256 provides significantly improved stability of trench drain 210, thereby allowing longer lengths of the trench drain 210 to be transported long distances without being damaged or deformed during shipping. Being able to transport long lengths of the trench drains 210 (e.g., 80 inch lengths) is especially useful in large industrial applications requiring a significant amount of the trench drains 210 (e.g., gas stations, stadiums, etc.).
The metal frame 256 additionally provides substantial reinforcement along the length of the trench drain 210 thereby minimizing any deformation of the trench drain 210 during installation when the concrete is poured into the trench. The metal frame 256 further provides a clean edge after the concrete is poured and enhances structural support for the trench grates.
Referring now to
Referring now to
While the sidewalls 212 are molded over the metal frames 256, the polymeric or plastic material flows into and fills the frame aperture 273, forming a sidewall protrusion 277, and also flows around the frame notch 275, engaging these anchoring features and fixing the axial end of the frame 256 at this anchoring point in the sidewall of the channel. Notably, after the molded polymeric or plastic material forms the sidewalls 212 and begins to cool, the sidewalls 212 tend to shrink more than the metal frames 256 due to a higher coefficient of thermal expansion of the polymeric or plastic material as compared to the coefficient of thermal expansion of the metal. As such, the frame aperture 273 and the frame notch 275 provide anchor points, such that the plastic material shrinks in a single direction from the first end 216 of the trench drain 210 towards the second end 218 of the trench 210. With the frame 256 being fixed or staked at one axial end of the trench, this means that all of the dimension difference as the result of differential shrinking occurs at the non-fixed axial end. Accordingly, the entire difference as the result of differential shrinkage occurs at that one side, which can be cut at that axial end, and that end only.
It should be appreciated that various other modifications and variations to the preferred embodiments can be made within the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention should not be limited to the described embodiments. To ascertain the full scope of the invention, the following claims should be referenced.
This application is based on and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/271,078, filed Dec. 22, 2015, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62271078 | Dec 2015 | US |